Goff carves up 49ers’ secondary
Former Cal star returns to Bay Area and torches Niners in Rams victory
SANTA CLARA » An already banged-up 49ers’ secondary had a trying night Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams. A pair of defensive penalties inside their own red zone— not to mention more injuries— just exacerbated the issue.
With the ball on the 49ers’ 17 with 55 seconds to go in the first half, safety Jimmie Ward was flagged for hitting a defenseless receiver as he made heavy contact with Robert Woods, who seemed to duck right before impact.
The penalty brought the ball to the 49ers’ 2-yard line, and Todd Gurley scored his third touchdown of the game on the next play as the Rams had a 24-13 lead at halftime.
“It’s really hard, man. I don’t know how. I guess I’m supposed to hit him in his knee,” Ward said. “( Woods) could’ve easily slipped over and scored a touchdown. I don’t know. I guess I have to do better at aiming.”
Early in the third quarter, Rashard Robinson was called for pass interference on Sammy Watkins on a 3rd-and-5 play for the Rams on the 49ers’ nine. San Francisco’s defense prevented a touchdown with a goal-line stand, as the Rams kicked a 19-yard field goal to take a 27-13 lead.
In all on Thursday, the 49ers allowed 292 passing yards in their 41-39 loss and didn’t manage a sack on quarterback Jared Goff, the Marin County native making his first start at Levi’s Stadium as a professional. Goff threw for three touchdowns as he completed 22 of 28 passes.
“I just feel like he made some great throws today,” said Ward, who said his hamstring was 100 percent.
Woods and Watkins combined for 12 catches and 214 yards.
“We just have to go back and look at the tape,” 49ers nickelback K’Waun Williams said. “I know we have some things that we have to clean up.”
• Goff looked every bit like the star he was while at Cal, and it wasn’t just because of the gold and blue jersey he wore that closely resembled those worn by the Bears.
Perhaps most impressive was his ability to come through in clutch situations.
After the 49ers appeared to be gaining momentum on a Carlos Hyde touch- down run that cut the deficit to 27-20 in the third quarter, Goff spearheaded a long 5:23 drive that featured 10 plays — a 75-yard drive that ended the quarter and culminated in a goal-line touchdown pass to Watkins to put the Rams back up by two scores.
How’s this for efficiency? Goff was a flawless 9 of 9 for 115 yards and a touchdown pass with a QB rating of 155.8 in the third quarter.
Goff responded again in the fourth.
With the 49ers fresh off a touchdown connection from Brian Hoyer to Trent Taylor to put them within a touchdown, Goff again drove down the field. A seven-play, 75-yard drive ended with another touchdown pass to Watkins, this time a 13-yard reception, and bloated the Rams lead up to two scores again to effectively end the game.
• As expected, strong safety Eric Reid ( knee) headlined the list of 49ers inactives. With Reid out, the 49ers moved Jaquiski Tartt to strong safety and Ward to free safety. Tartt, though, was one of a handful of 49ers defenders knocked out of Thursday’s game with injuries.
Tartt suffered a concussion as he combined on a tackle of Woods on a 25yard catch and run late in the third quarter. Brock Coyle suffered a concussion earlier in the game. Defensive end Tank Carradine was knocked out with an ankle injury, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk didn’t return after he suffered a neck injury.
• Pierre Garcon’s five year, $47 million contract was met with some criticism this offseason. It’s still early, but more performances like Thursday’s will definitely make it seem like the money was worth the deal.
Hoyer connected with Garcon seven times for 142 yards Thursday, as Garcon registered the first 100-yard game by a 49ers receiver this season.